[Gender meanings of the risk of sexually transmitted infections/HIV transmission among young people].

Aim: To identify the links between social representations used by young people to construct their gender identity, sexuality, and the risk management for sexually transmitted infections.

Setting: Different settings of Primary Health Care in Girona.

Participants: Young people aged between 16 and 21 years (32 participants) living in Girona.

Method: A qualitative study with a social constructionist perspective. A theoretical sampling was carried out and the triangular group and individual interview techniques were used for data collection. The data was interpreted using discourse analysis.

Results: Among girls, the ideology of romantic love was associated with dependence on their partner, resulting in a loss of autonomy in the negotiation of condom use. Boys represented sexual desire as an irrepressible urge that causes a loss of self-control through hormonal impulses, which was used to justify their carelessness in relation to condom use. These perspectives explain why girls are subject to sexist prejudices when they have sex just for physical pleasure in the absence of a stable affective bond, whereas boys in the same situation experience enhanced prestige among their peers that reinforces their male identity. The discourse on trust among couples often results in the rejection of condom use, because condoms encapsulate various meanings that are not compatible with faithfulness.

Conclusions: These results show the need for awareness among Primary Care professionals of the influence of psychosocial processes among young people, specifically those related to the construction of gender identity and of male and female sexuality in the management of risks associated with sexual activity.